The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-01-27
"REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN

"REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
In n volume Of some $50 pages,
bearing the above title, Mr.. A Thorn
dixie Rice, the editor of the North
American Review, has collected and
published more than thirty interesting
papers. presenting the personal recol-
lections of Abraham Lincoln commune
Gated by survivors Of the rebellion epoch.
Taken together these "reminiscences
unquestionably offer biographical
materials Of no ordinary value. Even
where the data furnished are not abso-
lntely new-and new they often are
they are ut least put forth and certified
under trustworthy authority. and in
what biography and history will accept
asthe finalform. Theingathering Of such
far-scattered and fast-fading memorials
was happy thought upon the part Of
the editor, and the useful task which
Mr.. Rice set before him has, with the
willing assistance Of his correspondents,
been satisfactorily performed.
One Of the best stories in the volume
was related to the editor by Gov. Cur
tin. 1t seems that Pennsylvania war
(snvnrnor vx-. !. c,,,,,,,,o.,nJ - o, :.o.~1.,
just after the battle Of Fredericksburg,
and found the President broken
at the butchery to which the Union
forces had been subjected in that hight.
Curtin said, Il would give all possess
to know how to rescue you from this
terrible war; At this sympathetic in
terjection Lincoln's whole aspect sud.
denly changed, and he relieved his
mind by the following apt narrative
That reminds me, Governor" he said,
of an old farmer out in Illinois that
used to know. He sent out to Europe
and imported the finest breed Of hogs
he could buy. The prize hog was put
in pen, and the farmers two mischiev-
Gus boys-James and John--were told
to be sure not to let him out. But
James, the worse of the two, let the
bruteOut next day.
The hog went straight for the boys
and drove John up tree. Then the
hog went tor the seat of James, trous-
ers. and the only way the boy could
save himself was by holding on to the
hogs tail. The hog would not give up
his hunt nor the boy his hold. After
they had made a good many circles
around the tree the boys courage be.
gan to give out. and he shouted to his
brother, say, John, come down quick
and help me let this hog CO. Now,
Governor, that is my case. / wish
some one would come and let this hog
60 But Lincoln was not always able
to thus relax the strain upon his heart
At another conjuncture of the kind
Gen. Schcnck happened to be with him.
As the bad news came in from the army
he placed his hands upon the general
knee, and, speaking with much emo
ton. said: ..You have little idea of the
terrible weight Of care and sense oi
responsibility of this Office Of mine.
Schenck, if to be at the head OF hell il
as hard aswhat | have toundergo here,
could find it in my heart to pity Satan
himself.
Col. Fred Grant sends the editor two
anecdotes rccounted BY Lincoln which
Gen, Grant intended to print in his
memoirs. but which. having been
omitted from that work, are now
published in this volume. The first il
thus reproduced in the Generals own
words: just after receiving my COM
mission as Licutenant-Gcneral the
President called me aside to speak will
me privately. After 4 brief reference
to the military situation, he said hi
thought he could illustrate what h.
wanted to say by 4 story, which he re
lated as follows; AT one time there
was great war among the animals
and one side had great difficulty in get
ting commander who had sufficient
confidence in himself. Finally the,
found monkey by the name Of Jocko
who said that ne thought he could com
mand their army if his tail could b,
made little longer.
So they got more tail and spliccd it OF
to his caudal appendagc. He looked
at it admiringly, and then thought h,
ought to have little more still. Thi
was added. and again he called fo
more. The splicing process was re
peated many times, until they hat
coiled Jocko's tail around the room
filling all the space. Still he called fol
more tail, and there being no othe
place to coil it, they began to wrap
around his shoulders. He continue,
his call for more. and they kept OF
winding his additional tail about hin
until its weight broke down. saw
the point. and, rising from my chai
replied: Mr.. President. | will not cal
for more assistance unless | find
ossible to do with what | alrcad
ave.. The second story renlembere
Gen. Grant was this: Upon on
occasion. when President Lincoln wa
ut my headquarters at City Point.
took him to see the work that ha
been done on the Dutch Gap Canal
After taking him around and showin
him all the points Of interest. explain
ing how, in blosxing up one portion q
the work that was being excayated, til
explosion had thrown the material bac
into and filled up 4 part already CON
pleted. hcturnedt to me and said: Grant
do you know what this minds me of
Out in Springfield, Illinois, there was
blacksmith named-. One da,
when he did not have much to do, h
took a niece Of soft iron fhnf had hoa